Superstorm Sandy special programs to air on 3 TV networks Sunday

A member of the New York Police Department walks through snow as it accumulates in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Hundreds of New York City police officers and firefighters who have spent the past few weeks helping a storm-battered city get back on its feet are also dealing with personal losses related to the floods. Craig Ruttle/Associated Press

NEW YORK — Less than three weeks after Superstorm Sandy
came ashore on the East Coast, three television networks will offer the
chance to relive the experience on the same night.

Two of the specials, on PBS and National Geographic, will directly compete with each other Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

The
National Geographic special is being made by Pioneer Productions, which
has also made the extreme weather specials "Raging Planet" and "The
Year the Earth Went Wild." Producers of "Superstorm 2012" promise to
include home video, news footage and computer recreations to tell the
storm's story and its effect on people.

History turned to a
British production team to make its special, which was initially
scheduled for an hour but cut back to 30 minutes. Scientists and
meteorologists are interviewed to discuss how the storm formed, along
with people who lived through it.

"Nova" also shows storm footage
but spends time on the question of whether superstorms are becoming more
frequent and what can be done to protect coastlines. It airs directly
before a Ken Burns special, "The Dust Bowl," about another extreme
atmospheric event.

Many of the people affected by the storm will
be unlikely to see the TV specials. Thousands of homes remained without
power Thursday.